09-05-2025
10 Must-Have Tools For The Best Digital Marketing Workflow
getty
Digital marketing evolves at lightning speed, and staying effective means leveraging the right tools. From AI assistants to SEO analyzers and customer relationship management systems, the best marketers know what works and stick with it. These tools aren't just helpful—they keep campaigns on track, get leads converted and allow teams to move fast.
Below, 10 members of Forbes Agency Council share the most essential tools they can't live without in their daily workflows. Read on to learn how these tools help them win in an increasingly competitive digital world.
Perplexity with custom Spaces is my daily digital marketing essential. I've created tailored instructions that I refine regularly to stay current. It's like having a personal AI assistant that understands my workflow and provides insights, campaign tracking and content ideas in one place. This customized AI approach saves me hours of research and keeps me ahead in this fast-paced field. - Meeky Hwang, Ndevr, Inc
I rely on Google Analytics daily. It cuts through opinions and shows what's actually happening—real user behavior, real conversions and real problems. Without data, marketing is just guesswork. Analytics turns campaigns from 'hope and pray' into 'test, measure, scale.' - William Polson, Australian Internet Advertising
I use Semrush daily to spot ranking shifts, content gaps and competitor moves before they become problems. It gives me the kind of clarity that makes decisions feel less like guesses and more like strategy. It's the one tool that actually changed how I think about search—less like a checklist of rankings and more like eavesdropping on what people are trying to figure out. - Dmitrii Kustov, Regex SEO
Forbes Agency Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?
Using HubSpot CRM daily streamlines our sales and marketing by centralizing data, automating outreach and providing real-time insights. Our sales team can track deals, prioritize leads and personalize follow-ups, while marketing can nurture prospects with automated workflows. We can drive alignment, improve efficiency and accelerate growth with a unified view of customer interactions. - Elyse Flynn Meyer, Prism Global Marketing Solutions
My reminders app is the tool I leverage daily as a digital marketer. I have separate reminder categories for all parts of my workflow—leads to follow up on, proposals to do, content to edit, posts to drop, ideas to work on and more—all compartmentalized nicely within one hub. It's become a crucial part of my marketing success by ensuring I know all I need to do to effectively market. - Tony Pec, Y Not You Media
Instant messaging tools remain a go-to for efficient team interaction, real-time collaboration and streamlining workflows. They also help foster a more engaging employee experience through features that support recognition, gamifying work and team dynamics. Combined with calendar integrations, they help keep everyone aligned and on schedule. - Jessica Hawthorne-Castro, Hawthorne Advertising
Spreadsheets may not be sexy, but I live in them. Going all the way back to my days as the CMO of Gateway Computers, from forecasting to campaign analysis, spreadsheets give me clarity, speed and control over the numbers. I pour over the precision they provide because when you're making decisions that move fast and affect the bottom line, precision matters. - Mary Ann O'Brien, OBI Creative
One tool I rely on daily is Google Search Console. It provides essential insights into keyword rankings, click-through rates and indexing issues. This helps me adapt our strategy based on real-time user behavior, optimize low-performing content and maintain technical SEO health. It's a core part of ensuring our organic performance stays aligned with search intent and business goals. - Ajay Prasad, GMR Web Team
I use Ahrefs daily to monitor backlinks, track keyword performance and analyze competitors. Having real-time SEO insights allows me to spot opportunities quickly and adjust strategies before trends shift, keeping campaigns agile and data-driven. - Boris Dzhingarov, ESBO Ltd
I personally use ChatGPT daily for the simple fact that I can, in essence, 'collaborate' and build on ideas whenever I need to. Our teams have taken to this as well—creating ad messaging variations, repurposing content and even analyzing data. We love to collaborate as a team; however, when time is short, ChatGPT can be an invaluable tool for ideating, expanding and improving ideas on the fly. - Bernard May, National Positions
